Sunday, June 24, 2012

This morning I said to Walt: "Today it's been 49 years since our first child was born."Mary Jane "Janie" Petersen Fisher was born June 24, 1963 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on the same day her father, Walt Petersen began his internship.

Today she is the wife of Shawn Fisher, mother of 7, and lives in Rexburg, Idaho. She and her family are about to move to a new home in Rexburg.

Happy Birthday, Janie. We love you, as we do each of our children, their spouses, and our grandchildren. Here's a fun photo Janie had taken last October with her senior, Katie.

We're starting a series of speaking assignments again...Saturday, June 23, we were asked to speak to the young single adults and leaders from the Usulutan District. It's about a 1 1/2 hour to 2 hour drive away from San Salvador.

Some of them came over to the Temple Complex building after and we invited them to come see the temple president's apartment. There were about 75 total who were at the meeting in our stake center by the temple.

They love to take photos on our second-floor terrace which has a great view of the temple. This was a married couple who were in charge of the gathering.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Our 51st Wedding Anniversary... Last week on June 14 was our wedding anniversary. Since we had the afternoon/evening shift at the temple, we went to breakfast at our complex cafeteria.

Here we were in the back yard of the complex...

Walt is following his doctor's orders in using the walker for 2-3 months to keep him from falling. The right leg that was giving out before his surgery is getting stronger each day.

We did a temple session the night before our anniversary. We cannot do a session when we're "on duty" because the temple president takes care of any questions that come up. Sometimes a patron's recommend has not been activated by the stake clerk, so the temple president calls the stake president to have the recommend authorized.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Here's what the Father's Day gift are... From his children--the Willow Tree Grandfather...

From his sweetheart - eternal companion: Old Spice, a lavender tie, a painting of the national bird painted on feathers, and a DVD of the life of the Prophet George Albert Smith (which we watched Sunday night--it is great). Also treats of Sweitzer's black licorice nibs, Milk Duds, and a Mounds (can't find those three candies here). And for breakfast homemade biscuits.

This morning he shined his shoes.... Steve has spoken for his shoe shine kit. Walt bought it in Moscow, Idaho, in 1952 his first year at the University of Idaho. He was commenting this morning that it's been a lot of places with him:UofI, Boise Jr. College, first mission to Uruguay-Paraguay 1954 to 1957, to BYU for 1 quarter, back to University of Idaho where he changed from engineering major to pre-med, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo.; Minneapolis, MN for internship; to Talihina, Oklahoma for 2-years in the U.S. Public Health Service at an Indian Hospital there, to Burley, Idaho; to the Yucatan Peninsula-Mexico Merida Mission as a mission president 1995-1998; to the whole of Central America--7 countries, living in Guatemala City 2005-2007 on a medical mission; to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay on another medical mission 2008 to 2010; and now to the San Salvador El Salvador Temple 2011 to 2014....and in between to Wendell, Idaho and Burley, Idaho.... We're off to take our 4 Sr. Temple Missionary couples grocery shopping on their and our P-Day... Thank you to all our kids and grandkids for the wonderful "Grandfather" Willow Tree from Grampa Petersen. We're so happy you were together on June 15-16.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Our last week in Utah for recuperation...David drove down from Draper and took Grama A, Walt, and me out to dinner at Applebee's tonight. Thanks, Julie, Josh, Anna, Sam, and William for giving up your Dad for us to be with him one more time before we leave. It was fun seeing a photo of you around the table for your Family Home Evening planning your summer goals.

Each of our children has been so kind and thoughtful of us...We so appreciate each one of them.

Julie and John are at the Palisades Campgrounds near Manti for their Mon-Tue-Wed Ward Campout.

Julie said that John is such a great camper....you could almost camp out for a year because he is so prepared.

Jacee, Jackson, and Maddie were excited to go camping with their Mom & Dad..

David helped set up the scanner for me to scan some of Grama A's photos into her life story...

Walt is working on the computer tonight...We fly out Thursday, June 7th, so his 5-week Utah recuperation time is about over...

Sunday, June 3, the 4 Utah families gathered for the monthly fast-breaker Dinner...

Josh was dx'd with walking pneumonia Sunday morning, so Julie B stayed home with him... Most of the kids were outside playing...

Saturday we drove to Rexburg to spend a day with the Fishers...

We had a walk through of their new home: "Greystone" on Saturday. It is beautiful and we are so happy for them...

Then we helped them write names on the 220 tickets for their Idaho Ballroom Academy dancers and parents who are performing at Disneyland June 4-9 this week...

Friday, June 1 we were invited to D. Kelly and Marcia Ogden's home in Provo for dinner. They are very dear friends from ourGuatemala-Central America Mission...

Our good friends, Gilbert and Michelle Sandberg picked us up and drove us to Ogdens. They are building a new home in Lehi east, that borders Highland. They were the temple president and matron of the Guatemala Temple when we were there...

Thursday, May 31 was the last day of school for the Saratoga Springs, Utah, families... We had a fun cookout up American Fork Canyon with Steve & Natalie, Julie & John, Grama A, Kimble, Carter, their friend Gavin, Jacee, Jackson, and Maddie.

The kids were kind to roast hot dogs and S'mores for us...

Earlier that day, Thursday, May 31, Dr. Charles C. Rich, Jr., neurosurgeon and his N.A. said Walt was ready to go back after his final check with them...

Also that day, Walt called the temple department who cleared him to return to his calling in the San Salvador El Salvador Temple if he promised to keep one temple rule. He promised. Then Elder Larry Gibbons told him what it was: "Don't Fall!" So our flight is scheduled for Thursday, June 7.

We appreciate everyone's love, concern, and prayers for Walt's recovery from this back surgery. And we are thankful to the Savior for His healing influence in Walt's behalf. Priesthood blessings and prayers are powerful!

We're thankful for our family and all they have done for us during this time, for their goodness, for their love for us and for all their many kindnesses. We're thankful for Steve & Natalie putting us up before surgery, and Julie & John for after the surgery. We're thankful for Gary & Kathy, McKell, Abbey, Jacob, and Isaac bringing several kinds of ice cream (including his very favorites of peppermint and dulce de leche) for a treat on Walt's Post-Op Day 3. ....Families and Friends are Forever!

About Us

Walt was born in Wendell, Idaho,and has lived in Idaho 64 of his 83 years. Eileen was born in the Twin Falls Idaho Hospital going home to Wendell from there, and have lived in Idaho for 56 of my 78 years. Married June 14, 1961 in Salt Lake Temple. We thank our children and grandchildren for the wonderful 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration they hosted for us in June 2011. We went on a Mediterranean cruise (thanks again to our children) to celebrate our 50th--a year early to be with D. Kelly Ogden as he lectured "In the Footsteps of Paul the Apostle." We have lived in St. Louis,MO, Minneapolis,MN; Talihina,OK; Burley,IDAHO 42 years, 3 years in Merida, Mexico;2 years in Guatemala City, Guatemala; 18 mos in Argentina,Oct 2008 to Mar 2010; and 3 years as temple president and matron of the new (dedicated Aug 21, 2011) San Salvador El Salvador Temple for--July 2011 to Nov 1, 2014. We love and adore each other, our 7 children, their spouses, and our 35 grandchildren.
Walt is a physician, I was a medical secretary for PHT, then homemaker and mother.
We are staunch Republicans.